The Long Black Train
- Episode aired Jul 18, 2018
- TV-MA
- 43m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
3.2K
YOUR RATING
A secret about John comes to the surface; Beth shows Jenkins a rough night out; Quality time with Tate leads to a close call.A secret about John comes to the surface; Beth shows Jenkins a rough night out; Quality time with Tate leads to a close call.A secret about John comes to the surface; Beth shows Jenkins a rough night out; Quality time with Tate leads to a close call.
Wes Bentley
- Jamie Dutton
- (credit only)
Buck Taylor
- Emmett Walsh
- (as Walter C. Taylor III)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWe learn a few unwritten rules of the ranch in this: 1. No fighting 1a. If you want to fight, you fight the Foreman (Rip in this episode) 2. Never hit a branded man if you're not branded. 2a. Branded men/women are (family) lifers while ranch hands are considered only paid employees who can come and go as they want
- Quotes
John Dutton: You're gonna grow up and I'm gonna grow old. I'll just be this old shriveled raisin in the corner telling you stories you don't want to hear.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Barry: bestest place on the earth (2023)
Featured review
Train, train, take me on out of this town
"The Long Black Train" (Yellowstone Season 1, Episode 4) is an apropos title for an episode fraught with raw power, merciless violence, and poignant allusion. We learn that "the train station" is a Dutton euphemism for tracks that hasten that long black train.
We also learn that the Duttons are even more cruel and yet more vulnerable than previously portrayed. Patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner) openly acknowledges his own personal vulnerability, chiefly his inevitable decline, in a tender moment with his grandson Tate (Brecken Merrill) after rescuing the young boy from a raging river.
Constantly walking a high wire with an apparent disdain for consequences, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) seems intent on destruction. Whether she will first destroy herself with her lifestyle or bury all her enemies via psychological warfare might look like an even bet, but everything she does appears to be carefully calculated, especially after this episode, given the ruthlessness with which she humiliates her opponents.
This ruthlessness is displayed crudely and clearly in a bar scene with misplaced companion Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston). Based not only on his suit jacket but also on his mannerisms, Jenkins sticks out like a branded steer in this particular bar-where at least one fight is already ongoing when Dutton and Jenkins enter. Beth Dutton outwardly loathes the "prick" Jenkins, but he's apparently decided her constant demeaning is worth tolerating because the prospect of wild sex seems high. Pointing out his need for Viagra before they even leave for the bar isn't enough for her. She also draws him into two physical confrontations, both of which end badly for him.
Back on the ranch, perpetual misfit Jimmy (Jefferson White) loses a fistfight of his own and when he refuses to quit, Rip (Cole Hauser) steps up to give the assailant an even worse beating. Jimmy is a slow project as a cowboy but is also a branded man, tantamount to "family." Fred the assailant (Luke Peckinpah) isn't, which Rip explains to Jimmy afterwards, and so Fred must "go" because nobody is allowed to touch a branded man. "Loudmouth" Fred will be replaced by another branded man, someone picked from prison-presumably someone as vulnerable and malleable as Jimmy.
The Long Black Train features some compelling drama on its own and yet raises even more questions for upcoming episodes. Much is at stake not only for the ranch but also for the family. To what ends will they and their bitter counterparts go?
Also, after an appearance by Whiskey Myers and music by Uncle Lucius, who will we hear next? The featured music of previous episodes (e.g., Chris Stapleton, The Trishas, Whitney Morgan, Ryan Bingham...) has been grand without being too conspicuous and some of the lyrics have dovetailed eloquently.
We also learn that the Duttons are even more cruel and yet more vulnerable than previously portrayed. Patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner) openly acknowledges his own personal vulnerability, chiefly his inevitable decline, in a tender moment with his grandson Tate (Brecken Merrill) after rescuing the young boy from a raging river.
Constantly walking a high wire with an apparent disdain for consequences, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) seems intent on destruction. Whether she will first destroy herself with her lifestyle or bury all her enemies via psychological warfare might look like an even bet, but everything she does appears to be carefully calculated, especially after this episode, given the ruthlessness with which she humiliates her opponents.
This ruthlessness is displayed crudely and clearly in a bar scene with misplaced companion Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston). Based not only on his suit jacket but also on his mannerisms, Jenkins sticks out like a branded steer in this particular bar-where at least one fight is already ongoing when Dutton and Jenkins enter. Beth Dutton outwardly loathes the "prick" Jenkins, but he's apparently decided her constant demeaning is worth tolerating because the prospect of wild sex seems high. Pointing out his need for Viagra before they even leave for the bar isn't enough for her. She also draws him into two physical confrontations, both of which end badly for him.
Back on the ranch, perpetual misfit Jimmy (Jefferson White) loses a fistfight of his own and when he refuses to quit, Rip (Cole Hauser) steps up to give the assailant an even worse beating. Jimmy is a slow project as a cowboy but is also a branded man, tantamount to "family." Fred the assailant (Luke Peckinpah) isn't, which Rip explains to Jimmy afterwards, and so Fred must "go" because nobody is allowed to touch a branded man. "Loudmouth" Fred will be replaced by another branded man, someone picked from prison-presumably someone as vulnerable and malleable as Jimmy.
The Long Black Train features some compelling drama on its own and yet raises even more questions for upcoming episodes. Much is at stake not only for the ranch but also for the family. To what ends will they and their bitter counterparts go?
Also, after an appearance by Whiskey Myers and music by Uncle Lucius, who will we hear next? The featured music of previous episodes (e.g., Chris Stapleton, The Trishas, Whitney Morgan, Ryan Bingham...) has been grand without being too conspicuous and some of the lyrics have dovetailed eloquently.
helpful•30
- jeffstonewords
- Oct 13, 2023
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Chief Joseph Ranch, 125 Appaloosa Trail, Darby, Montana, USA(The Chief Joseph Ranch stands in as the home of John Dutton and his family.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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